Fact-checking the Romney campaign

Mitt Romney‘s “pants on fire” statements and political ads reveal true dedication to his win-at-all-costs philosophy.

Sadly, gullible voters don’t value facts enough to research inconvenient truths. America is ill-served when truth is sacrificed on the altar of blind or prejudicial acceptance.

The persistence and number of fact-checked untruths should alert Americans to the GOP’s craven determination to triumph. Repetition doesn’t magically change fact.

Let’s examine some lies: “President Obama is... making deep cuts to defense... continually apologizes around the world... gutting Medicare... ending work for welfare... Obamacare is hated by small business... says no one built their business alone... promised unemployment would fall below 8 percent.. ”

Facts: Sequestration forces deep budget cuts in defense and other agencies due to Congressional agreement in August 2011. Paul Ryan helped build that!

Colin Powell admonishes, “Obama does not go around the world apologizing.”

Christina Romer, chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisors, made the “8 percent” comment.

Democrats battled to create both Social Security and Medicare over vigorous Republican opposition, faithfully defending it through decades of GOP efforts to end these programs. GOP governors petitioned the administration for flexibility in state work/welfare programs. In 2005, Governor Romney sought the same.

Every “I built it” ad featured business owners who sought/received government-assisted bonds, loans, and/or contracts. Romney cites the Chamber of Commerce: “Three-quarters of members said Obamacare makes them less likely to hire people.” This postcard survey had 1,339 differing responses.

“I left Bain Capital in 1999,” Romney said. By remaining CEO/sole shareholder, Bain continued operations under Romney’s control while he used his leverage throughout the three-year buy-out negotiations, doggedly engineering an extraordinary retirement package.

“The (dilemma) was not whether Mitt was involved in decisions but him retaining control to extract huge economic benefits by delaying giving up complete power,” one former associate has said, speaking anonymously. Mitt left Bain? Romney’s taxes reveal “active” 2010 participation in Cayman Islands Bain entities.

“My offshore investments don’t lower my taxes,” Romney said. Ridiculous! He claims he had no investments in Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae but he “... cannot control his blind trust investments.”

Mitt’s August 2011 disclosure reports $250,001 to $500,000 of investment in both those mortgage giants. Romney in a 2004 videotape: “The blind trust is an old ruse, owners instruct the trust what to invest in”.

“I’m pro-life,” Romney said. Romney’s had seven different positions on abortion since 2002. The first, most important shift happened in 1994 when Romney convinced Mormon leaders he had to run as pro-choice to win a Massachusetts United States Senate election.

Official records from the Salt Lake Olympics and his Massachusetts governorship have been destroyed and all government computers were removed — no email documentation survives.

Naive voters may think a mega-millionaire businessman is the solution to fixing the economy, but consider: when difficult budget obstacles arose, Romney consistently loaded troubled companies with massive debt, grabbed his management fee, siphoned off millions in profits, then abandoned the venture.

That Mitt didn’t burst into flames on the debate stage is amazing! Willard’s magic hat of unpredictable policy rabbits was stunning. What does this man stand for?.... if anything! Romney’s Etch-a-Sketch shell game could prove fatal if enough uninformed suckers don’t recognize the real Mitt Romney.